Forever Waiting
by Mikeleonvalentine
Summary: Ael, A blood elf tank, finds himself on a forced Vacation, decides to take some time for himself to be the person he is under his armor, reminiscing about his friends and the one he misses before indulging himself into an old hobby.


"_And I miss you…_

_Forever falling for you…_

_My heart is calling for you~_

_Over and over and over again..."_

He hummed the sweet tone, the words echoing over and over in his head like a sweet whisper, a silent plea that kept him moving.

Long, nimble, yet strong and now calloused fingers found themselves trailing their tips over half empty bottles of liquor that would remain the same till their owner returned. A small quirk of the red heads lips threatened him with a smile, before he opened bright tattooed green eyes that had once before been unseeing. An unknown thanks to the certain some one that no longer held his presence frequently to the walls surrounding the man that stood there now.

Ael's long ear twitched then as he was jerked from his dream back to reality by the sharp whistle of the teapot to the further right of the counter, the thing he'd been waiting for…. He remembered now… funny how lost his mind always seemed to get. Easily bored, always wanting for more action rather than patience… had been his downfall many times in his life.

Ael was far from unsuccessful as a man… he had a lot of wonderful things going from him. His physical appearance being far from average for starters, now built with quite a nice layer of muscle and a decent average height. He looked like he could easily take on many of the challenges the war against the scourge had to offer. Most everyone around him knew that for a fact. Oddly though, he had very little marks to show for it, simply a chunk missing out of his ear and a fading bite mark into the back of his left shoulder hinted of things that happened before the war even started.

If someone new was to see him and ask of his accomplishments within the war, they would probably scoff and laugh because he was far too 'pretty' and 'showy' to be a real fighter… More like a peacock, made to be shown. A nice curve form of his hips that was almost feminine and he had pale, milky skin that was in no way sickly and looked as if it would be softer than silk to touch when visible. Tribal tan tattoos marking decoratively under his eyes. An ashen phoenix cutting slashes into his perfect skin on his left shoulder. Then another blazing phoenix spreading it's wings across his shoulder blades and looking off to the right. Talons outstretched reaching for something it'll never have. Lastly, a chain of tribal flames could be found over his hips that V'd back to his tailbone. Piercings' were favorable as well. A thin carved horn spiraled through his lower left lip, a range of hoops and bars decorated his ears… and he sometimes hints of a few other piercings he dares for anyone to try and find. Proudly flaunting about how he did most of them himself.

He didn't hold marks like the orc's, tuaren, or the trolls that fought at his side, but the ones that did know him? Often questioned how he could come out of a fight against something three times his size without even a scratch…

Ael often blamed it on their priests, shamans, and druids being good at their jobs… though others grumbled the matter of their own marks. Ael would greet his 'healers' with big grins and gratitude along with praise for the job well done.

Others? Knew better… they knew something was up… but never took the risk to ask. Ael always gave them eyes that dared them too. But no one could ever get the guts to stand up to their piercing stare. Even though he wished they would.

It was no wonder why he was always the one to be asked head first into a battle, Strong… courageous, heroic, and oh so willing… daring…deathly… willing… a will that made others slink back at times when him and his comrades were looking death in the face… the Crooked smile Ael would always get and the proposal of a new challenged… something bigger… badder….and Meaner to attempt to bash his face in. Over with a simple spit of blood and a flawless unfazed grin to greet everyone with at the end of it. He truly no longer feared anything it seemed. Not anything that could be seen at least.

He'd changed his appearance slightly in recent events… Boredom and loneliness getting to him. He decided to give some of that permanent goblin dye a whirl… Hair that was once what people could call 'fire', with the blood red stains and bright orange sun kissed highlights, now looked as if it had been dipped carelessly into permanent black ink. He found it fun… different… and fitting to how he was, he always liked to appear as he felt. Stained with darkness per say… it wasn't a bad kind but it wasn't the good kind either…

The splashes of black now tickled the ends of his hair flowing in an untamable mass over his shoulders and face. Contrasting with the brightness of his glowing fel tainted eyes. Black velvet robes he only wore at home not hugged his body tightly. Barely stretching to the mass it had been given to fill the spaces that once bagged on him. It didn't look uncomfortable, just form fitting around the stomach torso and arms, like leather might have been. Left nothing of his upper body left to the imagination, sept the color of skin and tattoos. He had the the type of body women normally fawned over and some men desired both dominate and submissive alike.

He seemed proud of this most the time publicly. That silent knowing smirk he held when he walked the streets in his plated armor, so many had to stop just to take a look.

Though here… in his sanctuary… He hid away from those prying eyes that so often wanted to undress him for his body alone. He knew he could get their attention… whoever he wanted probably… in the end of it all… he knew they wouldn't ever stay. They never did. Never took the time to figure out what and who he truly was.

He was always found left behind… waiting… wanting….

Pink tip of a tongue slid out over the black horn lip ring as he poured the boiling water into a rather decently sized mug, metal tea ball filled with herbs floating to the top, and quickly left a pleasant aroma in the air around him. Having him take in a deep breath and let out a long relaxed sigh. Momentarily pleased as he watched the ball slowly sink back to the bottom before be picked the mug up by the handle, wrapping long fingers around it to feel its warmth and press it to his lips, not drinking but simply feeling the warmth. After a moment he'd finally release one of his hands, moving quickly but gracefully to snatch up the small leather bound book found resting on the table… smaller than the others he'd been given to study, this one was more personal…

Not that it mattered right? No one was around to care or notice or judge what he was reading that moment as he slid up the ramp and over a bed he might have once called 'theirs'. In nothing but the robe he hadn't even bothered to dress this morning. His whole day planed out. He had the next two weeks off to just be himself and take a breather from the death and cold of Northrend. This was his vacation.

He was going to indulge in an old enjoyment, an old escape from the reality he desperately didn't want to be part of anymore but couldn't find any real escape from. Folding long slim muscled legs under himself he leaned sideways to set his mug upon the nearby bedside tabletop before sliding back to lay the book out in front of him. Fingertips trailing over the leather printed surface, which with such care and detail had been pressed into a magical appearance of vines and petty things that didn't really matter in the real world…

He seemed to touch a lot… constantly seeing with his fingers first before his eyes seemed to register… he'd spent several months blind involuntarily by his own subconscious inner will… He'd learned beauty in a whole new sense of the matter… amazing how different the world looks when you don't have eyes to see.

He would stare at the book for some time, letting his mind wander there as his fingers did the seeing for him for awhile. His thoughts else were from the book he was so readily about to enjoy… he'd reminisce… think about everything he was about to leave behind to go to visit a world different from his own. Silently wondering Where his friend Saphirex was right about now… how he was doing… Ael was so worried about the hunter.

He'd consider him a close friend for certain… specially since the relationship issues had begun and Ael had found himself a counselor to both Tristynn and Saphirex till the rogue stopped speaking… though that's according to Saph, Ael hadn't seen Tris in months prior… then the rogue mysteriously went missing…

Leaving Saph to drop in the Town house at random, a frequent, drunken mess... Often not even making it to The couch before he was unconscious. Sometimes he'd show up more sober… and would sit and ramble on and on, and Ael would sit, and listen, secretly enjoying the sound of a familiar voice even with concern and worry plastered onto his face. Sometimes even found himself singing for the hunter. Just so other could sleep without his nightmares coming to haunt him, only for a night. Wishing he too could fall asleep the same.

The visits had grown less and less frequent now… The last he'd seen the hunter, there was such a deadened silence Ael was almost felt afraid of him… or more like what might be lurking beneath the surface of skin… It reminded him too much of himself in ways. The splashes of dark remaining over the heart. Though he recognized it in the hunter as something threatening to break the surface of skin and show the real monster he was beneath.

Ael… kind of didn't want to be there to see it when it finally broke free. That monster was more frightening to him than the things that lurked around the corners of the Ice crown citadel… the things that made men and women alike wake from deep slumbers screaming and crying out bloody murder begging for mercy from their gods.

Frowning to himself for the first time on his happy morning, Ael licked his lip ring again, a constant habit of his even when no one was looking, His eyes trailed down the balcony to the door as if expecting to see a dark heavy massive shadowed figure there… one of dread and disappointment.

Then another one in which he was longing for now… not so massive and not so dark… though he knew somewhere out there the paladin probably wouldn't agree with him. He also knew was safe for the moment… Ael was warned in the beginning wasn't he? That Aedynn wasn't the type to stay in one place long… He knew he could never stay in the town house with him long… but he knew someday he'd be back… he always came back… or at least Ael dreamed he would, the only reassurance he held being in the blood that rushed through his veins.

The bond between them… though faint now, told him he was still alive, out there… somewhere… just looking for the right time to come home… This had become… somewhat of a home hadn't it?

"_And I miss you_

_I can't be without you…_

_I'm always dreaming about you…_

_Over and over again…."_

That smile returned to his lips as his eyes move back to his book. The thing that could quell he longing and hunger he felt inside momentarily… lovers speaking things he was too afraid to ever speak himself to anyone ever again. Sharing feelings he knew he'd probably never share again. They could comfort him a dream in which he'd reside into for awhile over the sleepless nights he was set to have away from work.

No one would be around to see, right? No one came by here anymore… not his friends, nor his ex lovers, nor potential new ones pawing at the steps and begging for his approval and acceptance.

Here he could hide away for his time and indulge into his old weaknesses that no one else would know… or judge…

That sad smile remaining there, as it always did, when he flipped to the first page of the leather-bound book… and began. _"How many nights will I spend dreaming about you~? Waiting for you~? Over and over again~ …?"_

©Jak

Lyrics from Smith & Pledger: Forever

AN: Ael here is not the same as Axel's nobody Ael, just happens to be the same name, he's my world of Warcraft character. Can be found under Tysen or Ael on Sisters of Elune


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